A Comprehensive Review of Polymeric Wastewater Purification Membranes

Abstract

Synthetic membranes are currently employed for multiple separation applications in various industries. They may have been prepared from organic or inorganic materials. Present research majorly focuses on polymeric (i.e., organic) membranes because they show better flexibility, pore formation mechanism, and thermal and chemical stability, and demand less area for installation. Dendritic, carbon nanotube, graphene and graphene oxide, metal and metal oxide, zwitter-ionic, and zeolite-based membranes are among the most promised water treatment membranes. This paper critically reviews the ongoing developments to utilize nanocomposite membranes to purify water. Various membranes have been reported to study their resistance and fouling properties. A special focus is given towards multiple ways in which these nanocomposite membranes can be employed. Therefore, this review provides a platform to develop the awareness of current research and motivate its readers to make further progress for utilizing nanocomposite membranes in water purification.

Recent advances and applications of polymeric materials in healthcare sector and COVID-19 management

“…In order to prevent infections and loss of resources, the development of highly functional antiviral drugs is a need of time. Various functional NPs like quantum dots, nanoclusters, Si materials, carbon dots, Au and Ag NPs, graphene oxide, and dendrimers have shown excellent antiviral ability [18] , [19] , [20] . However, the antiviral mechanism and the efficiency of inhibitors is different in all cases, but their unique characteristics have made them better antiviral material.…”

Development of Composite Nanostructured Electrodes for Water Desalination via Membrane Capacitive Deionization

“…[2,19,21,22] Carbonbased materials such as activated carbon (AC), carbon aerogel, CNTs, graphene, among others exhibit superior electrochemical properties and thus can be effectively used as adsorbing agents for water treatment. [23,24] AC is the most common electrode material, which is abundantly used in (M)CDI due to its high specific surface area and porosity, which make it an excellent adsorbent. It has high electrical conductivity and specific capacitance and is chemically stable with a pore morphology that can be easily "tuned".…”

“…Other carbon-based materials commonly used in combination with AC for water treatment are CNTs and graphene. [23] CNTs and graphene have high specific surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and great stability due to their excellent thermomechanical properties. [25][26][27] They are capable of sieving separation at the ionic or/and molecular level.…”

“…[25,26] Moreover, CNTs can be easily modified by adding functional groups, [25] while graphene can be easily modified in its oxidized form, i.e., can be used as GO, in which the surface is enriched with hydrophilic oxygen-containing functional groups, which are both reactive and hydrophilic. [23,28] GO also has antibacterial properties that reduce membrane fouling and extend their lifetime. [18,29] To increase the effectiveness of carbon-based materials in (M)CDI, optimization can be achieved by using polymers as binders.…”

Synthesis of Three‐Dimensional Reduced‐Graphene Oxide from Graphene Oxide

“…Graphene along with its derivatives has shown immense applications in low-dimensional physics, energy storage, electronic devices, catalysis, sensors, medical equipment, etc. [4][5][6]. The excellent properties of graphene are important at nanoscale and must be harnessed for macroscopic applications.…”